EU To Impose More Sanctions On Russia As Protesters March Against Nato Summit In Wales

04/09/2014 17:58
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Updated
04 September 2014

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Paul Vale
Middle East-based journalist, former editor for HuffPost in New York and London

A raft of fresh sanctions is to be imposed on Russia by the European Union, according to British government sources. In a show of support for the beleaguered Ukrainian government, Nato leaders held talks with President Petro Poroshenko in Newport, Wales, on Thursday, with a fresh package of measures likely to be revealed in Brussels on Friday.

The new sanctions, which are to be followed by Washington, will includes strictures on state-owned Russian defence and energy companies, as well as the sale of military hardware by Western powers to Russia. A source told the Press Association (PA) the moves were designed to push Vladimir Putin towards the “negotiating table and off the battlefield".

Earlier, hundreds of protesters gathered to demonstrate against the summit, marching from the city’s Cenotaph to the Celtic Manor venue hosting the gathering. The protest was replete with campaigners from the Socialist Party, Socialist Worker Party, Stop the War Coalition and the Red Block communist group, many carrying banners condemning Nato. According to PA, one elderly bystander had to be restrained by police after he shouted at the demonstrators: "I fought for this country, go home."

The leader of Wales Green Party Pippa Bartolotti, who was part of a group that was allowed to meet officials from the summit, said her friend made a "citizen's arrest" on two Government representatives. She explained: "As I walked through it reminded me of an Israeli checkpoint. It reminded me of when I was arrested in Israel. There were riot police behind there, lined up.

"One of our delegation put their hand on the shoulder of the gentleman from the Home Office, who would not give his name, and said 'I hereby make a citizen's arrest for enabling war crimes'. She then did exactly the same to the gentleman from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, whose name was David, and she said 'I hand you over to the police for further investigation'. The police of course did nothing.

"We all presented different things from different parts of the world. I presented a bunch of white flowers - white to symbolise peace - with a message simply saying there is more power in peace than in war. There is, because it is easy to drop bombs in foreign countries but formulating peace is much more difficult. So don't take the easy option by surrounding yourself with people from the military - surround yourself with people who are doctors, people who are trying to rebuild countries, people from aid agencies.

"People from the military don't know how to build peace, they don't know how to build countries. They don't want to build bridges or the cultural or intellectual power - they only understand about war. It has to stop as it is not making us any friends and it is making us far too many enemies and is enabling organisations such as Isis."

Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Protestors at the Centoaph in Newport on the on the first day of this year's NATO Summit at nearby Celtic Manor.

Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Protestors at the Centoaph in Newport on the on the first day of this year's NATO Summit at nearby Celtic Manor.

Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Protestors marching through Newport on the first day of this year's NATO Summit at nearby Celtic Manor.

Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Protestors marching through Newport on the first day of this year's NATO Summit at nearby Celtic Manor.

Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Protestors are stopped by a police cordon outside the Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport, Wales on the first day of this year's NATO Summit.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators hold Palestinian flags as they take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

CARL COURT via Getty Images

Demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images

A protester kicks a police cordon as demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

A man gestures to protestors as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.)

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

A protestor hits the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images

A protester gestures to police personnel manning a cordon as demonstrators take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images

Police personnel stand behind a hedge as protestors take part in a demonstration against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images

Protesters lean against a police cordon as they take part in a protest march against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

A protestor hits the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Protestors gather in front of the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Protestors arrange a anti-Nato banner in front of the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images

Protesters push a police cordon as they take part in a demonstration against the 2014 NATO Summit in Newport, Wales, on September 4, 2014.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Protestors look through a window in the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Protestors arrange a anti-Nato banner in front of the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Protestors gather in front of the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

A police officer wearing a helmet looks through a window in the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Police officers wearing a helmets are seen through a window in the mobile police cordon as protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Protestors arrange a anti-Nato banner in front of the mobile police cordon as they demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Anti-Nato protestors demonstrate against the Nato Summit on September 4, 2014 in Newport, Wales.